The use of CBD-containing products is widespread among Americans nowadays. In addition, people are using different medical cannabis formulations to ease chronic pain.
However, a new review published in the JAMA Network Open shows that a cannabis placebo will provide the same pain relief as a cannabis-based product. A placebo is a substance designed to replicate the real thing in smell, taste, feel and appearance.
Positive media focus increasing expectations regarding cannabis products
The review looked at 20 randomized controlled studies and considered the impact of positive media focus on patient expectations regarding cannabis products’ effect on pain relief. A total of 1,459 participants participated in the trials, most of whom suffered neuropathic pain or pain brought on by multiple sclerosis.
Treatments in the studies had cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the two main ingredients in marijuana. In addition, prescription medicines such as nabiximols (Sativex), dronbinol (Marinol, syndros), and nabilone (cesamet) were also used. The medications were administered as pills, sprays, oils, smoke, or vapors. Researchers discovered that both groups of patients reported experiencing almost the same pain reduction.
Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and The Therapeutic Encounter at Harvard-associated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Ted Kaptchuck said that the results from the review aren’t surprising. Kaptchuk said that apart from opioids, most pain relief drugs are hardly better than placebo.
Placebo act the same way as drugs in alleviating pain
In addition, placebos offer the same pain alleviation as real pharmaceuticals in scientific trials of widely used painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen. However, this does not negate the physiological changes of the active drugs. Instead, a placebo’s results equal or resemble the real thing. According to Kaptchuk, they simply use distinct neurological pathways to function.
When someone is given a placebo, different neurotransmitters in the brain and certain brain parts get activated. The neurotransmitters, including endocannabinoids, have the same structure as the active ingredients in cannabis.
Positive media attention could be the reason for the placebo effect. Also, the placebo response could result from care and attention from healthcare professionals during treatment.
